In the city of Udaipur, India, a court sentenced a man to death for burning his wife alive because of her skin colour. The judge described the crime as “a crime against humanity” and “one of the most horrific cases”.
Before her death, Lakshmi told police and doctors that her husband constantly insulted her for being dark-skinned. In 2017, he applied a liquid, calling it “skin whitening medicine”, and then set her on fire. Severely burned, Lakshmi later died in hospital.
Evidence was presented against the husband during the trial. The prosecutor called the verdict “historic” and said it should serve as a warning to society.
The ruling once again highlighted the issue of discrimination based on skin colour in India. Excessive focus on fair skin and the demand for whitening products are reported to be creating huge social pressure.
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